


Changes

by Jathis



Category: Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: Autism, Autistic Carlos, Carlos is Autistic, Comfort, Dorks in Love, M/M, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-12
Updated: 2015-04-12
Packaged: 2018-03-22 14:24:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 397
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3732175
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jathis/pseuds/Jathis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Because sometimes people “suddenly change” on purpose, because they’re too nervous to show you who they really are for fear of rejection and ridicule.</p><p>But once they feel safe...and if you're lucky, they'll let you see who they really are.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Changes

Cecil noticed it several months after he and Carlos officially became a couple. The Outsider was no longer as…composed as before. He spoke more openly and rapidly about the things that interested him, laughing and smiling more as he seemed to relax around the Voice. He flapped his hands whenever he told Cecil about something he had seen in town that day and he told jokes that even Cecil had a hard time fully understanding at times.

But Carlos seemed…happier this way. He had become more open with Cecil now, more willing to share in the things that made him happy with the Voice. He laughed freely now, uncaring if it was loud or odd sounding.

Cecil smiled to himself when he finally realized what had happened, resting his cheek against the palm of his hand as he listened to Carlos tell him at a rapid pace about how he had first discovered that horses were in fact a fictional concept created by the cigarette companies to push their idea of the perfect cowboy to sell their product. He waited for his boyfriend to pause for a breath before leaning forward, pressing his lips against his own in a chaste little kiss.

Carlos gasped and blinked, looking at Cecil curiously. “Um…what was that for?”

“Thank you, Carlos.”

“For what?” Carlos asked.

“For trusting me enough to be yourself.”

The Outsider blushed a little at Cecil’s words, lowering his head to look down at the tabletop. “I still get nervous sometimes,” he confessed.

“Why?”

“Because I worry that…when I start acting like myself…people will dislike me. That they’ll think ‘oh, he was smarter  _before_  we found out about his…you know’. It’s very…stressful,” he confessed. “You’re always expected to think and act a certain way but as soon as people find out that you’re different they just…talk about how hard it is to like you anymore. Like they liked you  _before_  they found out.”

“I’ll always love you,” Cecil promised gently, reaching out to take Carlos’ hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “You can act just like yourself with me,” he swore.

Carlos blushed and smiled brightly, perfect teeth flashing in the kitchen light. “Thank you, Cecil,” he murmured, leaning forward to nuzzle against Cecil.

Cecil noticed the way some of the tension in Carlos’ shoulders left him and he smiled.


End file.
